Partners
by Zpan Sven
Summary: (R, pre-show) Captain Black and rookie Lt Violet are sent undercover to protect an Archbishop from a mercanary group called Akito. On their mission, they find danger an intrigue...and love? rr
1. Hello!

****

CHAPTER ONE: HELLO!

Timeline: Pre-_Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons_

Date and Time: May 5, 2067, 1115 hours 

Location: Cloudbase

POV: 3rd Person

"I don't know who cooked this, but this is great!" Captain Magenta said around a mouthful of food.

"Don't talk with your mouth full, Pat, it's disgusting." Grumbled the man standing at the coffee machine. "Frankly, I'd rather not throw up my breakfast on my day off…"

"Sorry."

"That's Captain Black, right?" A low voice asked Captain Ochre as he entered the Officers' Lounge. 

He turned to face a young woman around the age of twenty-four in a violet color-coded Spectrum uniform standing right behind him. She was gesturing to the man in a white long sleeved shirt and black denim pants beside the coffee machine. Ochre squinted, studying the man's face before he responded. "That's him. Why?"

"Doctor Fawn asked me to deliver a message to him and I wanted to make certain that was him first." She replied.

"Well it is." He replied before starting over to where Magenta was shoving food in his face. 

"_Danke_." She said before walking up behind Captain Black. "Captain Black? I have a message for you."

The black-haired man didn't even turn to face her. "What is it?"

"This." She drew back her booted foot and slammed it into his ass. 

He yelped loudly as he jumped in surprise, spilling his coffee. Black spun around to face the violet-clad younger woman who smirked at him as she stepped back. His eyes widened in surprise. It was her!

"Catch me if you can, Old Man!" she taunted before running past a gaping Ochre and Magenta.

Black barely contained a bellow of rage and slammed his almost empty coffee cup down on the counter before taking off in pursuit of the violet-clad woman that kicked him. Violet color-coded boots thudded heavily down the hallway as the young woman dashed through the corridors. She couldn't go full speed just yet – she didn't want to lose him, as that wasn't part of Doctor Fawn's plan. That and running in heeled boots wasn't very good on her feet.

It was when he was coming upon Sickbay did he realize that he had been played. He came to a halt several feet from the entrance and was about to turn and leave when the violet-clad woman stepped out of Sickbay.

"What kept you, Old Man?" she snickered. "Here I was worried I'd have to bring Doctor Fawn to help revive you from a heart attack!"

Black's left eyebrow twitched and his lips thinned in annoyance before he snarled, "Why you little brat! When I get my hands on you, I'll bust your ass so hard, you won't be able to sit down properly for a month!"

Inside Sickbay, behind the younger woman, out of Black's view, Doctor Fawn was stifling his laughter, while Colonel White's alabaster eyebrows shot up to his hairline in amusement. 

She faked a yawn and turned her back to him. "Are you all talk or are you actually going to come on over here and try?"

He strode forward and grabbed hold of her shoulder, intent on shaking some sense into her when it happened. White and Fawn saw her eyes narrow and a satisfied smirk cross her face when her hands lashed out and grabbed hold of the larger man's forearm. She promptly rolled her shoulder and turned her upper torso to draw him fully into the judo throw. Black yelped as he suddenly found himself flying over her shoulder and landing hard on his back, the air escaping from his lungs. Black's wide eyes started up at the younger woman.

"I'm a third _dan _brown belt in judo, Captain Black." She stated with a self-satisfied smirk. Her pale lavender eyes lifted to Doctor Fawn's face. "As promised, one Captain Black to Sickbay, whatever means necessary short of actually killing him. Now where's that weekend pass you promised me?"

Fawn snickered and the Colonel nodded in approval before giving her the pass.

Date and Time: May 8, 2067, 1230 hours 

Location: Cloudbase

POV: 3rd Person

Delightful aromas wafted from the galley and into the officers' lounge, catching the nose of the black-haired man in the magenta color-coded Spectrum uniform, causing him to sigh appreciatively. 

"That smells even better than those leftovers I heated up the day before yesterday!" Captain Magenta exclaimed with a grin. 

"That was rather rude of you – what if the owner of those leftovers was planning to eat them later?" The man sitting across from him chided grumpily from behind his _London Times_.

"Oh, come on, Conrad, I asked and no one knew who the owner was so I ate it before it spoiled!" The younger man grumbled. "You're still upset about that sweet little filly literally kicking you in the ass to get you to chase her down to Sickbay so Doctor Fawn could treat that ulcer of yours. If you think about it, that was rather funny…"

"You weren't the one on the receiving end – her boots were pointed at the tip." Captain Black said sourly. "And I think they were steel-toed…"

"And here I thought I'd never see the day Conrad Turner would give up and say die." Came the dry voice of their commanding officer from behind Black.

"Hello, Colonel!" Magenta said cheerfully. "Did the delightful smell coming from the galley entice you down from the Control Room?"

"You could say that." The Colonel said as he sat down beside Captain Black.

"Food's on!" called out a cheerful female voice from the galley.

Out of the galley's swinging double doors came a form clad in a white tee-shirt, faded denim Capri pants and white socks and loafers, covered by a white apron which proudly declared in red and orange flames 'Too _HOT_ to handle!' that hugged the frame of a decidedly _female_ form. Magenta's mouth dropped open slightly at sight of the woman walking towards him, carrying a tray of steaming food – it was like something out of his dreams. Long, well-proportioned muscular legs streamed into wide, shapely hips – which seemed to unconsciously sway seductively with each step – and a tiny waist connected to a well-developed upper torso. Thick, dark auburn-brown hair cascaded down her back and swirled around her hips with every step she took. Pale lavender eyes were lit up with good humor as she stopped beside Colonel White. _There went that dream!_ Magenta mentally grumbled.

"One plate of Chicken Cacciatore, a side of broccoli smothered in cheese sauce, as well as fresh spring peas, just as you requested!" she said in a husky soprano as she bent over to place a plate in front of Colonel White. The action gave Magenta a wonderful, if brief, view of her cleavage as her shirt and apron top gaped. "If you're still hungry after all that, I have some brownies cooling in the galley, Colonel White." 

Black stiffened and turned in his seat to glare at the woman. "You!"

"How's your ulcer, Captain?" She asked, her full lips curving up into a smirk as she straightened up, the tray still in her hands.

Black's long hands twisted and tore his napkin to shreds before he slammed the palms of his hands down on the tabletop and stood up. The American-raised Englishman towered over the petite frame of the much younger woman and his eyes promised her extreme discomfort. She set her tray down on the table beside the Colonel and placed her slender hands on her shapely hips and glared up at him. Electricity seemed to arc between the two. Colonel White sighed, shaking his head, seeing what those two couldn't – or wouldn't just yet.

"Colonel, this is the one I was telling you about, the one who struck a superior officer." He growled.

"Colonel," she mimicked mockingly, "this is the one Doctor Fawn was telling us about, the one who refused treatment for an ulcer."

"That's enough you two." Colonel White warned. "Doctor Fawn did order Lieutenant Violet to bring you to Sickbay in anyway short of in a body bag, Captain Black – however, neither of us were prepared for her unorthodox methods, which shall prove to be useful in the upcoming future. Both of you are to report to the Control Room in three hours, I recommend you make the best of them. And, Lieutenant Violet, I think I'll take some of those brownies back for Lieutenant Green."

"Of course, sir! I'll fix him up a lunch plate right away." She said cheerfully, picking up the tray she had set down and with a sharp turn on her heel, she headed back to the galley.

The two older men jumped in surprise when Magenta fell from his chair and hit the floor face first from overextending in his chair to stare at the departing Lieutenant's rear. The Irish-American gave them a sheepish grin as he climbed back into his chair. Nothing was going to stop him from looking, especially at a lovely filly like that.

Date and Time: May 8, 2067, 1530 hours 

Location: Cloudbase

POV: 3rd Person

The doors of the Control Room slid open, allowing the entrance of a petite woman garbed in a violet color-coded Spectrum uniform. Her dark auburn-brown hair was neatly done back in a bun at the nape of her slender neck and her pale lavender eyes scanned the control room and when they landed upon Lieutenant Green, a smile lifted her full lips. 

"I hope you enjoyed that lunch plate, Seymour!" She said as she stopped by his terminal.

"You better believe it! I better be careful so I don't let a word slip about the attractive woman who can cook as well as my dear sisters can, or they'd each tell me to snatch you up if you weren't already taken." Her comrade teased. "The Colonel's still waiting for Captain Black – you are a few minutes early."

"Better too early than too late, as my grandfather told me often before he passed on." Violet said, a look of sadness in her pale lavender eyes.

"He's still with you, just as my parents are with me." Green stated solemnly.

"Amen to that." She said softly as she fingered the silver cross hanging from around her neck.

"Better not let the Colonel see that, he's a stickler for regulations about no visible jewelry and crucifixes do count under that category, unfortunately." He informed her as his hand reached up and gently touched the front of his green color-coded vest.

"S.I.G., Lieutenant Green." She slipped her crucifix under her turtleneck jack and repressed a shiver as the cold metal came to rest between her breasts.

"Better hurry or you'll be late." Green warned and with an appreciative nod, made her way to where Colonel White sat behind his large circular desk.

"Hello, Lieutenant."

"Sir."

Footsteps behind her announced the presence of Captain Black. She had to keep from smirking as he shot her an annoyed glare.

"You asked to see us, Colonel?" Black asked.

"Yes, Captain. I am certain you are aware of the threat to Arch-Bishop Doventry."

"Latest thing in the news, sir, couldn't miss it." Violet stated. 

Colonel White gave her a look of approval and continued, "We have discovered the identity of those behind his attempted assassination. They are a mercenary group called Akito, and have targeted the Arch-Bishop and at this time we are attempting to determine the identity of their client."

"So they have no religious reason for going after him?" Black asked.

"So far, none have been found – Akito has members of all religions within their organization." The older man informed them. "The Arch-Bishop has asked for two undercover agents to be provided for his protection, and I have chosen the two of you."

"Sir?" Confusion was evident on Violet's face.

"You, Lieutenant, are one of the best snipers the world has ever seen, and you, Captain, are one of the best field commanders I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. Lieutenant Violet is in need of more field experience and you are one of the calmest and most sensible men I know of that won't take advantage of the role you two will play." Colonel White said and they could have sworn his eyes twinkled in amusement.

Both junior officers paled slightly. What had their commander cooked up for them to do?

"You two will be going undercover as a pair of newlyweds that are on vacation and are hoping to have your union blessed by the Arch-Bishop." He informed them.

Violet blushed straight to her hairline and Black chuckled slightly. 

"Don't worry, Lieutenant, I'll be certain to restrain myself around you." Black said with a straight face.

"Are you certain we shouldn't pose as father and daughter instead?" She asked acidly as she cut her pale lavender eyes over to the older man.

"While I am several years your elder, Lieutenant, I'm not quite _that_ old!" he replied good-naturedly as he quirked his eyebrows up in amusement.

"I had both Lieutenant Green and Captain Magenta come up with your false identities," the Colonel interrupted as he handed them two portfolios. "You are now Anita and Conrad Ferguson, please do review the material before you arrive in Venice."

"S.I.G., sir!" both officers said in unison.

"Dismissed."

Both Spectrum officers turned and walked out of the conference room, with Lieutenant Violet already opening her portfolio and looking over the information inside.


	2. Welcome to Venice

**CHAPTER TWO: WELCOME TO VENICE**

_Date and Time: May 11, 2067, 2455 hours_

_Location: Treviso, Italy_

_POV: 3rd Person_

Black growled low in his throat as he stepped out of the bathroom into the bedroom he and Violet were to share as part of their cover. He looked over at his new partner's – he gave a mental shudder at that word, **troublemaker** was a _so_ much better description – half the bedroom and scowled when he saw that all her bags excluding her overnight bag was packed and stacked by the door. Her overnight bag was opened on one of the room's dressers, and her night clothing was tossed onto the still made bed. He barely batted an eyelash at the silk and lace nightshirt splayed across the bedcovers – he _was_ rather experienced and he had seen far more seductive night wear on _and_ off many a more beautiful woman than his new partner – as he studied the room for clues. A slip of paper sticking out from under the room's telephone caught his eye. With practiced ease he removed the slip of paper and his ebony brows snapped together in a scowl as he stared down at the address of a nightclub that was a block or so away from the hotel.

That little twit was so going to hear it for sneaking out while he was in the shower!

The rave music blared loudly and numerous bodies moved in synchronization with the club's pulsing lights. Long dark fiery hair twirled around the gleaming black leather and lace bodice and miniskirt Anika Solvig wore and her favorite pair of shiny black thigh high boots complimented the ensemble nicely. Dark purple eyeshadow was carefully painted on her eyelids and her eyes were artfully rimmed in black eyeliner and her already long eyelashes were coated with black mascara, giving her pale lavender eyes an almost hypnotic appearance. Dark red lips curved up into a smile as she lost herself into the music, her arms lifting up over her head, the numerous bracelets she wore on her wrists clattering together softly and weren't heard over the loud music blaring form the speakers. This was wonderful and so much more fun than having to sit and wait in that stuffy hotel room waiting for their orders to head for Venice.

The woman known to her comrades as Lieutenant Violet was finally having fun on this mission! She smirked to herself as she compared this small club back to the larger one she had frequented regularly back in Berlin before she had joined up with the military. After the quick comparison, she found that while there weren't as many extras, the music was excellent and there was enough room on the floor to dance without the guys being able to get a free grope and blame it on the crush of the crowd.

A hand reached out from the crowd and clamped down onto her bare left bicep. She snarled and turned with a lightning fast rabbit punch to her assailant's face – or tried to at least. A long masculine hand caught her fist and she found herself looking at the annoyed face of her new partner.

'Outside, now!' he mouthed and with a mental cringe, she obediently followed him out into the cold night air. After they were safely back in their hotel room, he let her have it.

"Of all the idiotic, irresponsible things!" Black all but roared. "While you were out gallivanting around, I have received our orders to move out to Venice first thing in the morning!"

"Finally!" she exclaimed. "I thought we'd never leave! Do you have any idea how excruciatingly boring it's been just sitting around and waiting in that hotel room?"

"I have a pretty good idea, you little twit! The point is that we were supposed to stay there and wait for our orders, but no, you had to go and run around dressed like some call girl."

"Call girl?!" She hissed. "Just for your information, you jackass, I happened to have been one of the most decently dressed women in there, and even if I was a call girl, I wouldn't sleep with you no matter how much money you offered!"

"Like I'd even have to offer money just for that!" He drawled with a wicked smirk. "I've never had to do so before and I never will."

"Ugh, just ruin the rest of my night, you pig!" Violet groaned, "I'm going to have nightmares now!"

"Now_ if_ you think about it in the right frame of mind, we're _supposed_ to be newlyweds! You tell me what we're supposed to be doing!"

Violet blushed to her hairline and Black could only sit there and grin. _I've made my point,_ he thought, immensely pleased with himself. After all was said – shouted and shrieked, actually – and done, the two finally agreed to sleep the rest of the night before having to catch the early morning train to Venice.

Despite her earlier accusation, she found that she had rather _pleasant_ dreams…

* * *

_Date and Time: May 12, 2067, 0900 hours_

_Location: Venice, Italy_

_POV: 3rd Person_

Venice was a beautiful city, one that she had always stared at longingly at the pictures on postcards and in travel books. _Too bad the company isn't as great…_ she grumbled mentally as she shot an evil look at the man sleeping in the seat across from her. She refrained from 'accidentally' kicking the older man, for fear that he'd start bitching at her for him having to 'come and retrieve' her from the night club she had visited the night before. She leaned back in her seat and made a face at him. She was young and the club had only been a couple blocks away from the hotel at the most – besides, she _was_ a Spectrum officer, and in her military career before that ranked high in self-defense courses that the Academy had offered. After checking her safety belt and pulling out a pillow and blanket, she curled up in her seat to get some sleep.

* * *

_Date and Time: May 12, 2067, 1115 hours_

_Location: Venice, Italy_

_POV: 3rd Person_

"It's bad enough I'm sharing a bedroom with you, but I won't share the bed!" She all but shrieked. "You can sleep on the floor like last time!"

"Why not just scream that a little louder – I don't think the members of Akito heard you." Black retorted snidely. "Now calm down, you don't want to be all bitchy when we go to meet the Archbishop, now do you?"

"Bitchy?!" Violet snarled as she picked up a vase full of flowers, "You want bitchy, I'll _give_ you bitchy!"

"Put it down!" he snapped, "If you break it, I'll make certain it comes from your pay!"

She gave a low growl and slammed the vase back onto the small decorative table from where she had grabbed it, causing the water inside to slosh around violently. The two glared at each other until there was a knock on their suite's door. Both slipped back into the roles of Spectrum officers and Black gestured for her to say put. She nodded and pulled out a revolver from her ankle holster and stood beside the bedroom door, ready to provide her commanding officer any cover fire.

"Yes?" She heard him asked in Italian.

"The Archbishop wishes you to join him for lunch at noon precisely, sir." A younger voice informed him.

"Thank you. May God bless you." Black replied.

"And may God watch over you, sir." She heard the younger voice say before their suite's doors closed.

Seconds later, the bedroom door opened and Black gave her the all clear signal.

"You heard, I take it?"

"Yes. We meet the Archbishop for lunch at twelve noon precisely." Violet recited as she tucked the revolver back into her ankle holster.

"Excellent. We had best prepare for it then…"

* * *

_Date and Time: May 12, 2067, 1200 hours_

_Location: Venice, Italy_

_POV: 3rd Person_

The Brother led them to the chambers the Archbishop used for the small intimate meetings.

"You're very fortunate, Mr. Ferguson. His Eminence rarely sees newlyweds anymore as he is so busy for mother church these days," said the Brother in accented English. "I think he is likening back to the early days when he had just become a bishop."

He stopped in front of a door and knocked, a cheerful voice bidding them enter. The brother moved aside for them to pass and they entered the room. The brother closed the door behind them and they looked at the Archbishop.

Archbishop Doventry was so good that he practically radiated with a holy light. His hair was starting to thin and he was somewhat plump, but he carried the added weight well with his purple robes and paternal demeanor. The holy man smiled serenely as Violet and Black approached him hand in hand, both dressed in the customary black, with Violet's silver crucifix shining proudly in the sunlight against her black blouse.

_Must decontaminate hand…_ Violet thought, and fought to keep the demure, peaceful smile on her face. Despite her thoughts to the contrary, her hand actually felt all nice and tingly in Black's own, like that's where it belonged. She mentally shook herself and got back to the mission at hand.

"Please, come sit down, you must be tired by your trip!" The Archbishop said as he directed them to matching chairs placed side-by-side.

"Thank you, Your Eminence," Violet murmured softly before kissing his extended ring, playing the part of the submissive Catholic wife to the hilt as she stared meekly down at her long black cotton skirt.

Black also kissed the Archbishop's ring before he turned and made certain she was comfortable before sitting in the chair beside her, gently clasping her hand in his, trying to ignore the sensations running through him. His mind kept flashing back to when he dragged his new partner out of that club, and how she had looked in the leather and lace ensemble. His brown eyes carefully surveyed the room, searching for any potential threat or an area where any surveillance devices might have been hidden.

"I am delighted you could join me for lunch." The Archbishop said softly. "Things have been rather interesting to say the least."

"So we can imagine, your Eminence."

"Brother Andrew will serve us and then take his leave so we can discuss this at length."

"Does the good Brother know the situation?" Black inquired, inwardly nervous that there could be an inside person involved with the threat.

"No. There are very few that know of this, save the Pope and several of the papal security people. It's been downplayed as best…" the Archbishop quieted as Brother Andrew entered with help to serve their lunch. They waited until Andrew and the others left, and then began to discuss details.

* * *

_Date and Time: May 12, 2067, 2045 hours_

_Location: Venice, Italy_

_POV: 3rd Person_

Violet picked slightly at the lace hem of her white and lavender silk nightshirt and blushed slightly before placing the matching robe on the chair beside the queen-sized bed. They had decided that they would share the bed, so that their cover would appear more credible. Her, in a nightshirt wearing absolutely nothing underneath, in front of a superior male officer…and a rather attractive – oh alright, very sexy, very hot – one at that! So what if he was a bit older – that only made him all the more interesting. She slid underneath the covers on the left side of the bed and leaned back against the pillows. The door of the connecting bathroom opened and Black walked out. It took all of her willpower to keep from staring at the black silk pajama bottoms he wore, which was molded his muscular hips and hugged his crotch with such loving care and lightly molded to his…. with a blush, she turned her back to him and burrowed under the covers. He noticed this and a smirk appeared on his face as he slid into bed. He had never seen that kind of blushing. _Her temperature should be up at least a full degree by now,_ he mentally chuckled.

"Good night, Anita."

"Good night, Conrad." Her voice was muffled slightly by the covers.

* * *

_Date and Time: May 13, 2067, 0105 hours_

_Location: Venice, Italy_

_POV: 3rd Person_

In the darkness of the unexpectedly cool night, two tired bodies curled up against one another in a search for body heat. Strong arms enfolded the tiny form of the female Spectrum officer and she snuggled up unknowingly against her superior officer's muscular chest. Still in a state between wakefulness and sleep, his hands slid down her silk clad back and cupped her hips and his lips nuzzled the soft skin at the side of her slender neck. Still partially asleep herself, she gave a soft moan and her hands slid across Black's bare waist and trailed across the elastic waistband of his pajama bottoms. He slid his hands underneath her nightshirt and stroked her bare hips softly.

He nudged her legs apart and slipped between her pale thighs. Black's greater weight pressed her against the mattress as he pushed her nightshirt up. However, the sudden weight on top of her startled Violet from her sleep. Her sleepy eyes became instantly alert at the sight of the man covering her body with his. Several factors ran rampant through her mind all at once: One, her commanding officer was lying on her, wearing only his pajama bottoms. Two, there was something very **large** and very _hard_ pressing against her inner thigh, very near her mound, which she was very certain was his arousal. Three, he had his hands up under her nightshirt and on her waist. Four, she was hoping he was fully asleep, that way he wouldn't know of _her_ arousal and response.

"Ca.…_Conrad_ She hissed in a low, urgent tone, remembering they were supposed to be married. "Wake up and get off of me!"

His only response was to move one of his hands over her rapidly moistening pussy and press his mouth against hers. Black's tongue rubbed up against hers and he moved his hand back to her hip and pressed his arousal right against her mound, sighing as he did so. Violet's eyes almost crossed while her hips bucked slightly in response as she gasped against his lips and tried to regain control over her hormones. She placed her hands against his pectorals and tried to shove him away – she only managed to break the heavy kiss. He then tightened his hold on her by sliding his hands from where he was holding her hips to clasp her buttocks and grind his hardness against her mound once more. A moan managed to escape her lips and he gave a throaty groan in answer as he ran his lips over her collarbone on up the slender column of her neck. _Oh dear God, give me strength!_ she begged silently. _I cannot give into this sexy, horny man who happens to be my commanding officer and have sex! It is WRONG! _she mentally chided herself before thinking, _Dear_ _God, if he's like this asleep, what's he like awake_? She refrained from smacking herself on the forehead for that thought and tried to regain control. While she was silently trying to regain control, he started to push down his pajama bottoms with one hand. Violet's jaw dropped and she began to make very serious attempts to wake him up.

"Wake up, damnit and get off of me!" She growled, her voice getting louder now.

His lips sought out hers again and before he could slip his tongue into her mouth, she bit his lower lip – hard. Black jerked into wakefulness at the pain arced through his lip. His eyes popped open and he found himself staring into his partner's angry pale lavender eyes. His quick mind automatically took in the situation at hand. One, he was on top of Violet, resting between her thighs. Two, he still had his pajama bottoms on – barely. Three, she still had her nightshirt on, but it was pushed up around her waist and he now knew for a fact she didn't wear anything under it. Four, he was aroused to the point that it almost hurt. Five, Violet looked both really aroused and _really_ pissed off. Black lifted his mouth from hers and pushed himself up onto his hands and knees and stared down at her.

"If I told you I was sorry, would it help?" He asked. His mind was racing. What was the matter with him?

She reached under her pillow and pulled out a dagger before she placed it against the very large bulge in his boxer briefs. "What do you think?"

His head bowed as he followed the dagger's path with his eyes. "Right. Pardon me."

He waited until she moved the knife and climbed off of her and out of the bed before stiffly walking to the connected bathroom. Maybe a cold shower would help…he winced slightly as he tried to lengthen his stride and decided another course of action might be needed, but _only_ if the shower failed. He locked the bathroom door behind him before he carefully pulled his pajama bottoms off and stepped into the shower stall.

Black had to refrain from letting loose a shout as the icy cold water suddenly ran over him. He looked down and noticed he was still fully aroused. _Damnit__…_ he groaned mentally and stopped himself from banging his head against the shower stall's wall. After double-checking that the bathroom door was locked, he made certain the sound of the shower was loud enough to fully drown out any stray noise before he began 'taking care of business'. He had this nagging feeling that he'd be doing this a lot over the course of this mission.

He made certain that there was no evidence of his activities before pulling on the robe he had left hanging on the back of the door and putting his boxers in the pocket of the robe. Barely was the bathroom door open then Violet all but knocked him over to get into the bathroom. His mouth went dry and he felt his member stirring once more at the sight of her erect nipples straining against her silk and lace nightshirt and caught the musky scent of her arousal. The bathroom door slammed behind him and the nagging feeling he had earlier turned into a screaming banshee. Dear God, he was going to be in constant state of semi-arousal all through this mission, wasn't he?! He growled silently as he stalked over to the dresser and pulled out a pair of clean pajama bottoms. He slid them on before placing his discarded robe on the chair next to his side of the bed and climbed under the bedcovers, making certain to keep his back facing the bathroom door. Perversely, he thought it would fit in with the newlywed cover they were portraying, but he felt Violet wouldn't see the humor in it.

Violet made certain the lid to the toilet seat was down before placing a clean nightshirt and matching thong down on the lid and stripping off what she already wore. She bit her lip at the sensation of the silk rasping across her hard nipples, hoping to smother the gasp she felt build up in her chest. Walking carefully, she stepped into the shower and felt overwhelmed at the musky scent lingering in the air. A blush spread across her cheeks at the thought of Black… She shook her head – bad idea thinking of her CO in _that_ light, since it would only bring trouble, lots and **lots** of trouble.

She turned on the water, setting it to just above lukewarm. The water rained down upon her and she shivered slightly at the sensation. Her feminine side and hormones was something she had repressed since she joined the military service, and when the rare occasions that situations like this came up, she was generally at a loss of how to handle it. With a sigh, she lathered up a washcloth and began to gently scrub her shoulders. As the cloth ran over her still tender breasts, she bit her lip to keep from moaning. Violet nibbled on her lip in indecision – should she? The Church did frown on it and she never had really felt the need to do so before…

But she'd get no sleep in this condition, her more logical side – and rather aroused side as well – argued. Resting her forehead against the shower stall wall, she tried to remember the things the few other women she had been stationed with said they did to relieve this pressure. '_Follow your instincts; they never let you down, in or out of the bedroom!_' She recalled one of the older women joking.

In the bedroom, Black peeked over his shoulder at the bathroom door. He could have had sworn he heard a thud, like something falling. She didn't slip did she? _Or maybe she's taking care of her problem the same way you took care of yours?_ part of his mind hissed softly. What if she was? He felt his member hardening again. _Turner, you idiot, stop it!_ the logical part of his mind screamed. If she did fall and hurt herself, she was probably too stubborn to call out for help, he reasoned. _You just want to see if she's playing with herself, Turner._ snickered part of his mind while the more reasonable side of him responded with, _Stop thinking this way! She **could** be hurt and drowning!_

He hesitated at the bathroom door before trying the knob. It turned silently and he opened it partway to peer into the bathroom. His heart in his throat, he felt his mouth go dry and all the blood rush and pool to his groin. Her eyes were closed and her head tilted away from him, but he could see her hand in-between her legs and how she was moving both her hand and her hips. Despite the shower running, he heard her softly moan his name – she _did_ want him! He silently closed the bathroom door and he stood there for a second before staggering back over to the bed and laying down belly first on his side of the bed. He had to regain a semblance of control. This was **vital**!

After rinsing the soap from her body and the shampoo from her hair, she stepped out of the shower and pulled a towel off of the rack to begin drying her hair. She paused to pull on her clean clothing and tossed the dirtied ones into the laundry basket

Black lay there on his belly and stared hard the wall. The shower was loud, but he heard her final moan even though it had occurred several minutes before. His cock had throbbed at that sound, and his body tensed again. The bathroom door finally opened and he risked a peek. She was towel drying her hair, which kept her from seeing him looking at her, dressed in a plain white cotton nightshirt. His eyes jerked back to where they had been staring at the wall and he did his best to command his body to relax, which was very difficult due to the condition he was in.

It was going to be a _long_ night – and an even longer mission…


End file.
